Emma's Sorrow
by WhiteWayDelight
Summary: Sixteen year old Emma is a happy teenager living in NYC. That all changes when her parents are gone, and she has to find her life without them.
1. Chapter One

I don't own Friends, but if I did I'd be the happiest girl in the world!  
  
"C'mon Gracie! Get ready for bed!" the blonde teenager told the little girl was babysitting.  
  
"But I don't want to. I want to wait for mommy and daddy to come home," Gracie complained trying to stall her babysitter.

"Your brother is already in bed, and he's a year older than you, why don't you be like him and wait for your parents in bed. I'll read to you," the teenager suggested.

Gracie shrugged her shoulders and looked around hoping to find another excuse but there wasn't any, and she really did want to be like Alistair, her seven year old brother.

"Okay, but I don't want to be read to. I just want to sleep."

"A ha! You admit it!" the babysitter said laughing.  
  
She got Gracie into her pajamas and into bed. Heading out of the children's bedroom the sixteen year old flopped on the couch with the latest issue of Teen Vogue. It was nine o'clock, and her parents along with Gracie's and Alistair's wouldn't be back until eleven. It was pouring outside, and thunder was striking every second exposing the beautiful New York City skyline.  
  
The teenager's name was Emma Geller-Green and she lived in Manhattan with her parents. She attended a private school where she was going to be a junior in the fall. She excelled in all subjects, especially science and history. Emma had many friends, and went on the occasional date. She wasn't a teenager with many conflicts, and got through every day easily. There was always the occasional argument with her parents, and because she was the only child they had together they were overprotective of her. Emma loved her life. She didn't mind babysitting almost every weekend for Gracie and Alistair Hannigag, they were the children of her parent's best friends, and she considered them to be family. Many weekends of hers would also be spent up in Westchester, with her father's sister Monica and her husband Chandler, who were more than just an aunt and uncle, they were like a second set of parents. They had two children, fourteen year old twins, Jack and Erica, who often got on Emma's nerves, but she loved them anyhow. It was also very easy for Emma to meet celebrities. Her parents had another best friend named Joey, whom she called Uncle Joey because he was a very big part of her life in the first two year of her life. He was a star of a TV show, and was famous enough to get her into premiere parties once in a while. Joey was married to his co-star, who's name was Vicky. They didn't have any children of their own, but loved to spend time with the children of their friends. Emma had more family, but these were the ones that her family was the closest to, they were one big group, and she felt lucky to be part of it.  
  
Emma sat back on the couch more comfortably and flipped the magazine around. She marked down the pages of the things that she wanted, hoping that she and her mother would be able to go shopping soon and get a bunch of new clothes. Like her mother, Rachel, Emma loved shopping. She had a very trendy-classic style, that resembled her mothers. Nice boots, she thought, I want them for the fall! Too bad her school required uniforms, she wasn't able to show of her style every day.  
  
"Hello!" a voice called opening the door.

It's eleven already? Emma wondered, checking her watch and realizing that it was.  
Four adults came through the door drenched in rain, and holding wet umbrellas. Despite the rain from the looks on their faces it was easy to tell that they had fun that night.  
  
"Are they asleep?" Phoebe, Gracie and Alistair's mother asked Emma.

"Yes, they went to sleep around nine."

"Great, thanks so much for doing this every weekend. Do you want to come to this astrology reading with me next weekend as a big thank you for sitting this often?"

"Thanks, but I'm not really into that stuff, you know that! And I really don't mind babysitting, I love it, and I know that you don't make me when I'm busy," Emma told Phoebe smiling.  
  
"Now how is it that you are so friendly with Phoebe but when you come home you become like a monster? Like ARGH!!" Emma's father Ross asked as he walked up to Emma and Phoebe.  
  
"Oh daddy, stop that!" Emma laughed, she knew that her father was just kidding around like always.  
  
"You guys staying here or can you face the rain?" Mike, Phoebe's husband asked.  
  
Ross looked at Rachel. They both looked out into the window and at the time.  
  
"Well, I guess we'll go, we'll catch a cab, the rain can't be that bad," Rachel said, taking her umbrella.  
  
"Yeah, well bye guys, see you tomorrow!" Ross said waving to Mike and Phoebe.  
  
"Bye, be good Emma!" Mike said jokingly.  
  
They left the apartment and headed into the street, into the rain.  
  
"Gosh, this weather is horrible, at least it isn't cold. Monica would hate this weather even more, her hair would frizz up so much!" Rachel said to Emma as Ross hailed a cab and the three of them slid into the backseat.  
  
Ross told the address to the driver and they sat back happy to be away from the rain for at least a few minutes.  
  
"You have any plans for tomorrow sweetie?" Rachel asked Emma brushing the rain off Emma's wet blonde locks.  
  
"Not really, maybe I'll hang out with Jenny or something," Emma said speaking of her best friend.  
  
"I have to grade papers tomorrow, I hope those students listen to my lectures once in a while," Ross said to his wife and daughter.  
  
"Because your lectures are so very interesting daddy!" Emma said as she and her mother looked at each other and giggled.  
  
The family was silent for a moment, as the rain got harder, and they could tell that the cab driver was stuggling to see through the window. The car drove faster and slid on the rain, going over some bumps, even Ross looked scared as he noticed a car near them going fast and unsteady.  
  
"Mom I don't like this," Emma said nervously.  
  
"We'll be fine," Rachel said taking Emma's hand.  
  
And then it was dark.

PLEASE REVIEW!!! I KNOW IT'S SLOW AND BORING AND PREDICTABLE BUT IT WILL GET INTERESTING. I PROMISE YOU THAT!!


	2. Chapter Two

> She opened her eyes and looked up. All she saw was white. A white ceiling. Where am I? She asked herself, and then she understood, it was in a hospital. Emma brushed her hair away and felt her forehead, there was a small bandage, but it hurt. She got up and opened the door, she could barely remember what happened, just screaming and holding her moms hand, and then blacking out. A nurse noticed her right away and rushed over.  
  
"Oh sweetie, you're up, how are you feeling?" The pleasantly plum young nurse whose tag said Jane asked her.  
  
"I feel fine," Emma said confused "I know I'm in a hospital, I assume there was a car accident and I blacked out, where are my parents?"  
  
"Yes, you were in a car accident, you were bought here about four hours ago, you were asleep. Why don't you go back to bed, your aunt will come in, in just a minute," Nurse Jane said gesturing for Emma to get back into the hospital bed.  
  
Still confused Emma obeyed her, and was about to ask for her parents again but the nurse left. In bed Emma sat up trying to remember what happened. She must have not been hurt if all she had were some minor scratches that were covered in simple bandages. What aunt did the nurse mean, she thought, probably Monica, or maybe even Phoebe, no way could it be one of her mom's sisters. Her thinking was correct as just that second the door opened and Monica walked in.  
  
"Oh my goodness, Emma, you're alright," Monica said through tears rushing over to Emma's bed and giving her a hug.  
  
Emma hugged her back wondering about the tears in Monica's eyes.  
"Yeah, Aunt Monica I'm fine. Where are Mom and Dad?"  
Monica turned away obviously trying to hold back any extra tears. She sat on the corner of Emma's bed and took her hand.  
  
"Emma," she said clearly and quietly.  
  
"Yes?" Emma asked nervously with tears forming up in her own eyes.  
  
Monica looked down and then back at Emma nodding her head to herself. "There is no way to say this, no easy way for me to say it, no easy way for you to hear it." Monica chocked back tears and turned around for another second still holding on to Emma's hand.  
  
Emma was now ahead of her aunt's words and was alarmed.  
  
"Aunt Monica, tell me. My parents, are they okay?"  
  
Monica took a breath in, and replied.  
  
"No, they are not. Emma, you and your parents were in a car accident. The taxi you were in slid on all of the rain and had to slow down, which caused a drunk driver to slam into it. You were saved from any harm of it. So was the driver of the cab. Your parents weren't so lucky."  
  
Emma starting sobbing, and turned away from Monica looking up at the ceiling, not even knowing how to cry in this situation.  
  
"So are you telling me, are they..., are they?" Emma asked looking back at Monica.  
  
Monica nodded. "Ross, your father, my brother," new tears rolled out, "was killed at the spot. Your mother is in very critical condition and the doctors say she doesn't have more than a few hours."  
  
Emma was speechless, these were her parents. HER PARENTS. HER FATHER WAS DEAD.  
  
Despite all that Monica was feeling, the death of her brother, and the fact that she was going to lose her best friend, she had to be strong for the young girl whose parents they were.  
  
"You don't have to say anything," Monica told her "But if you do, we are all here at the hospital."  
  
Emma looked straight into Monica's eyes.  
  
"Can I see my mom?" she asked  
  
Monica was taken back by that and even moved back a bit.  
  
"A-Are you sure? Emma, she is in very critical condition."  
  
"But she is in this hospital?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then I can see her. She is my mother for God's sake! Let me see her!" Emma cried falling into Monica's arms and crying.  
  
"Okay, okay. Lets go." Monica told her and they left the room.  
  
They walked the one floor down hand in hand where Rachel's room was. In the waiting room Emma noticed everyone. All four of her grandparents, Jack, Judy, Sandra, and Leonard, their heads in their hands. Chandler standing by side trying to keep a grim face without any tears, but it wasn't working. Phoebe and Mike were sitting together crying silently. Amy and Jill Green were off to another side resting their heads in their husband's shoulders. Joey was sitting in a chair shaking his head and sobbing, his wife Vicky patting him on his back and brushing away her own tears. Carol and Susan were next to them, comforting each other. Ben, Emma's twenty four year old half brother was holding the hand of his fiancé, Felicity, his head up high, chocking up tears.  
  
Besides the tears it was so silent, not many even noticed Emma and Monica walk in the room, except for Chandler, her rushed over and hugged them. Monica motioned him over to the side.  
  
"Emma wants to go in and see Rachel. I told her everything." she told him.  
"Monica, Rachel is dying. She doesn't have much time," Chandler said.  
"But she's her mother, Emma has to see her mother, and she wants to, we take that away from her."  
"The doctors say Rachel can barely talk, wouldn't that be harder on Emma?" Chandler asked.  
"Maybe, but it's not our choice, and we don't have much time. Lets take her in," Monica told him going back over to Emma who was hugging Ben, both of them in shock over the loss of their father.  
  
"C'mon Emma, if you want to, we go now," Monica told her.  
  
"Yes," Emma said backing away from Ben.  
  
The three of them walked into the room where a woman that was barely recognizable as Rachel Green was lying. Her body was hooked up to needles, but her eyes her slightly open and she was staring at nothing, but it might have been like she was thinking of everything, she didn't even notice when the door to her room opened.  
  
Emma stepped closer to the fragile, barely living woman that was her mother. She looked back at Monica and Chandler and waved them away.  
  
"Are you sure?" Monica asked her.  
  
Emma nodded. "I want to be alone with her."  
  
Her aunt and uncle turned around exiting the room.  
  
Emma stepped up to other side of the bed, which her mother was facing, and looked down at her face.  
  
"Mom?" she asked softly.  
  
Rachel opened her eyes more. "Emma, honey, is that you?"  
  
"Yes, mom. It's me. I know everything." Emma said taking her hand, starting up fresh tears.  
  
"Oh no no no, sweetie, please don't cry. Don't cry sweetie. We don't have much time, I don't want you to cry," Rachel said, tears in her own eyes.  
  
"Okay, okay" Emma said wiping away her tears with her free hand, "I wont cry if you don't want me to."  
  
Rachel nodded her head with as much strength as she could.  
  
"Emma, I doubt I even have an hour left, but would you listen to me?" Rachel asked her daughter. "Of course," She said sitting down on the chair next to her mother's bed, not letting go of Rachel's warm hand.  
  
Looking straight into her daughter's eyes, Rachel started talking.  
  
"Emma, the day you were born, it was the happiest day of my life. I know all mothers say that, but it's not cliché, it's the truth. A child is the best joy a person can get. I was blessed with one child, and one amazing child. I could not have ever wished for my life to be any different, because then I wouldn't have you. For the past sixteen years you have been the biggest reason that I smile every day. I couldn't love you more than anything, in no way. Your father, he can no longer say it, but he loved you so much. You were his little girl. Maybe he was overprotective of you, I think I was too, but it's because we love you. Your father was an amazing person; I have never loved any man as much as I love him. We were an amazing family, and you are much the reason for that. I will be gone soon, and your father already is, but you will have a happy life. Monica and Chandler love you so much, and I love them too, you will live with them, and they will care for you, I am letting them, because I know that they will do a good job. I want you to be happy in life. I don't want you to cry over us being gone, but to laugh remembering all of our good times together, and oh boy, there were many, many good times. I want you to live a good life, finish school, go to college, get married, have children so you know what a joy they are. When you have your own children, tell them about me and Ross, tell them about all of our memories, even tell them the crazy story of Ross and Rachel, of how we loved each other. Our love was always there, never on a break. I love you, Emma, my daughter, the best part of my life. Thank You for making the past sixteen years of my life amazing. Thank you for being the best daughter in the world. I love you so much."
> 
> Emma was sobbing. So was Rachel
> 
> "I love you too Mom. You and dad are the greatest parents, I couldn't wish for better. Thank You for everything." Emma told her mother hugging her gently, and giving her a kiss.
> 
> They both sat their for a few minutes just staring at each other with the love that only a mother and a daughter could share. After a while Rachel was gone. She died holding her daughters hand. Emma didn't cry new tears them moment her mother died, she was still thinking of the beautiful words Rachel said to her, and how she would remember them always and forever.
> 
> Review. Chapter Three to be up soon.


	3. Chapter Three

Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry for the slow update.  
  
Emma tried to shut herself out of all the voices surrounding her, but it was hard. Everyone was coming up to her trying to console the poor girl. But their words didn't help, they didn't lose their parents. Even Ben, who lost his father still had two other parents, and he was already an adult and he didn't have to drastically change his life.  
  
She was back at Monica and Chandler's house in Westchester for the reception after the funeral. Emma was a stone during the whole funeral, she still in complete shock and wasn't able to get any tears out until the burial when the tears flooded out after all that shock that she couldn't even watch and could barely breathe as her parents bodies, in coffins, were placed into the ground. So many people came to the funeral, many of them Emma knew and loved dearly, others she just knew, some she didn't even know. Some people that on any other occasion she would be extremely curious about meeting, she barely noticed. They included her mother's ex-fiancé Barry, her father's ex-wife Emily who came with her new husband, and her Aunt Monica's ex-boyfriend and a friend of her grandparents, Richard Burke. None of them came back to the reception, but many others did.  
  
Monica made a sad, but beautiful speech about the love story of Ross and Rachel at the funeral. She knew them both so well. Ross and Rachel were buried side by side in their hometown of Long Island, at a cemetery that accepted all faiths, since neither was extremely religiously Jewish.  
  
Everyone was gathered downstairs of Monica's house, eating, talking, and remembering. Emma headed out of the crowd in a part of downstairs where only a few people mingled. She sat down at one of the chairs blankly staring into a wall, her mind blocked with too many thoughts. She barely noticed when a person approached her.  
  
"Hey," Ben said to his sister sitting down next to her.  
"Hey," She replied just glancing at him.  
  
Emma wasn't close to her half brother, who was eight years older than her. They never lived together, and didn't see each other much. But they were the only sibling each other had, and they had both just lost the same wonderful father.  
  
"It's hard to believe it right?" Ben asked her sitting a can of Coke.  
  
"Yeah," Emma nodded looking at him.  
  
Ben shifted his position on the chair. He was never that comfortable talking to Emma; he didn't have much to say to her, they didn't have anything in common, but their father.  
  
"Listen Em, I know that you will be living here now but if you need to come back to the city and see your friends, or you just miss it, my place is always welcome. I am your brother and I want to be able to provide you with some support. It's hard for both of us. In many ways you knew dad so much better than I did, I never lived with him, but you did, I'm hoping we can talk more and provide each other with more memories of dad and of Rachel."  
  
Emma smiled genuinely at him, he really was trying to be there for her, and as horrible as the situation would be it might actually bring them closer together.  
  
"Thanks Ben, it really means a lot to me, I swear," she told him getting up. "I should walk around now, I know people want to talk to me, and I might as well get in over with."  
  
Emma walked back into the main room where the crowd was slowly getting loose.  
She felt a hand on her shoulder, turning around she noticed it was her aunt Amy. Amy was now a successful fashion designer, specializing in children's design. She was married to a lawyer who was a decade older than her and she had adopted his two children, Jane and Sam, and they had their own newborn daughter Melody. They lived in a penthouse on Park Avenue and were very happy with their life.  
  
"Emma sweetie, your mom and I weren't the closest of sisters and I know that Monica will always be the aunt that you are closest to, but I am also your aunt, and I love you. I'm so sorry for everything that has happened, if anything talk to me," Amy smiled down at her remembering the day she got Emma's ears pierced, shocking Rachel.  
  
"I know that Amy, thanks. And I'll visit you, I promise!" Emma said to her waving away as she walked to get a drink of water.  
  
This was the hardest day of her life, but she tried to get it past her and understand what her new life was about to be like. She was moving from a huge, famous city to Westchester. She would not be attending her private school with her friends, instead she would enroll as a junior at George Washington High School, a big suburban stereotypical public school.  
  
Emma looked up the stairs that led to the second floor. She had been in this house so many times, since she was a toddler, spending many weekends, even a month once staying over, but she never imagined that she would have to live there without her mom and dad. Emma headed up the stairs into the guest room in the end of the hall. She opened the door to find that a lot of her stuff was already there. Someone must have packed it for me she thought. The room was smaller than her room at home, but it was nice, she would get used to it. She sat on the bed picking up a photo album that was on top of one of her boxes.  
  
She opened it up to find a picture of her at four years old as a flower girl at her parents wedding. She remembered that day so well, she was so happy. Emma started crying, closing the album, she couldn't bare to look at it, it was killing her. She laid herself down on the bed letting herself cry, she was allowed to, if anyone was allowed to cry today it was her.  
  
She heard a knock on the door. Quickly wiping her tears away with the back of her hand she sat up and called,  
"Come in."  
The door opened and a tall girl of fourteen with dirty blonde hair and a pixie face came in.  
  
"Hey," she told Emma, sitting down next to her on the bed.  
  
"Hey," Emma answered back to her cousin.  
  
"So you'll be living here now. I have to say, Emma, I'm so so sorry about what happened. I could never imagine loosing my parents, but I'm glad that we are the ones that you are going to live with," Erica told her nervously. Erica always had the feeling that Emma didn't like her for some reason, they got along, had fun, but weren't exceptionally close.  
  
"I know, thanks, I'll try to adjust," Emma said giving Erica a smile of satisfaction. She didn't know why she was smiling at everyone, it was her day of grief, she wasn't supposed to support the people, no matter how conceited it was.  
  
"Well," Erica said nervously, "I'll go now, see ya."  
  
"Bye," Emma told her quietly watching the door close.  
This was her new life. In a few hours all of the people downstairs would be gone and she would be stuck in Westchester for another two years, until she finished high school, living with Monica, Chandler, Jack, and Erica. She had a summer ahead of her, and a new school in the fall. She had lost her parents but had to move on and live her life. Her mother wanted her to be happy.  
  
With a sigh she headed back downstairs to say goodbye to the remaining people, putting the funeral behind her, her parent's deaths just the beginning of everything.  
  
Review's appreciated. Thanks. 


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